The archery season for deer will be extended by two weeks in an area of the state that includes the Vineyard, state officials announced last week.

Maps prepared by cartographer Chris Seidel document the spread of deer ticks, dog ticks and lone star ticks.

Island hunters took nearly 800 deer during the 2017 deer hunting season, the highest harvest in at least 16 years, according to recently released state data.

Shotgun hunting season began Monday, and the weigh station was busy this week with hunters, biologists collecting ticks, and a new deer donation program.

Efforts to reduce the Island deer herd, and an apparent spread of lone star ticks, topped a presentation this week.